from Japan

In Japan, between April 29 and May 5, there are lots of National Holidays and this period of time is called “Golden Week”. Many people go out of the country, or go out of their own cities and enjoy their trips.

Me? Well, I had to catch up the housekeeping things that I could not get done, so I mostly stayed home. I enjoyed staying home. Really.

Here are some pictures of flowers that I took just before Golden Week at Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine. It was quiet.

Actually, I hate going out during this kind of holiday season, so I prefer not to go out.
Even Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine is crowded.


Chinese Milk Vetches at holy rice field.


Azaleas.


Wisterias.


Irises at Sengen Shrine, one of the branch shrines of Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine.

In southern part of Osaka Prefecture, there is a city called Kishiwada.

People here are crazy about their festival, “Danjiri” held in the middle of September, which people living outside of southern part of saka Prefecture don’t understand.

Anyway, there is a small castle in Kishiwada City. It is not as big as Osaka Castle, of course, but it really is a castle.


Next to Kishiwada Castle, there is a Japanese restaurant which used to be super rich family's house and garden.


What made Kishiwada famous was the NHK drama series, “Carnation” which had been broadcast from last September to this March.

It was the story about the fashion designer, Ayako Koshino, who is a mother of world-wide known Hiroko, Junko, and Michiko Koshinos. She was from Kishiwada City.

This street was shot in the drama.


This is the store Ayako Koshino actually ran.


There is even a small museum of “Carnation”.

Not so far from Abiko Station of subway Midosuji Line, there is OhYosami Shrine.

This shrine is very old, as old as Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, and started probably around 1800 years ago.

This monument shows that there used to be a beautiful pond.


It is not so well-known, but there are beautiful cherry blossoms along its approach.


There is going to be a spring festival at this shrine on April 16.

Now is the time for cherry blossoms. It is later than usual because of unusual cold winter.

Here are the pictures of cherry blossoms at Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine today.



(This cherry tree is of Ohtoshi Shrine, a kind of branch shrine of Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, which is near Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine)

The tallest building in Japan is now being built in Abeno, Osaka.



The construction is going to be completed in 2014, hopefully.

I introduced Ito Chubei’s house in Toyosato Town in Shiga Prefecture before. Ito Chubei was an Ohmi merchant who founded a big corporation, Ito-Chu Corporation.

There is a town called Gokasho on the east side of Lake Biwa in Shiga. From this town, a lot of Ohmi Merchants spread to all over Japan in Edo Period, and made good business.

I like Ohmi Merchants Policy. Their policy is that business should be good to themselves, their clients, and their society. They were not greedy..... like... you know.

There are old Ohimi Merchants housed remained in the town of Gokasho. I want to spend more time here next time.

I haven't uploaded this blog for a long time.
Yeah, I've been busy and tried to adjust to my new schedule and work location.
But what I needed to do was organizing my mind and thoughts.

Well, I went to Shiga Prefecture yesterday. It was a holiday in Japan.
It's been very cold winter, and even in Osaka, it is still cold in late March.
We didn't have snow this time, however.

In Shiga, where there is a lot of snow, of course, there is snow remained on the mountains.

Lake Biwa and Hira Mountains taken at Ohtsu

Mt. Ibuki taken at southern part of Hikone